At this time I began to write, from vanity, greed, and pride. In my writings I did exactly as in life. In order to possess the glory and the wealth for whose sake I wrote, it was necessary to conceal the good, and to display the bad. And so I did.

Tolstoy's autobiographical essay is a dissection of his soul, a study of his life's movement away from the religious certainties of youth, and a vital piece of reading which contextualizes the great works he is best known for. Marking the point at which his life moved from the worldly to the spiritual, Tolstoy's philosophical reassessment of the Orthodox faith is a work that holds vital spiritual and intellectual importance to this very day.

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Listener Opinions

by Charles | 4/22/2011

" It's hard to deny his hand was guided divinely.
"

by Emanuel | 6/26/2010

" Tolstoy's brutal honesty about his feelings and struggles makes it very easy for the reader to identify with what i'm sure everyone faces at one point in life, the question of the meaning of life. great read.
"

by David | 6/19/2010

" Tolsoty's end of life discussion of his spiritual beliefs.
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by Rich | 4/10/2010

" wow. no other impulse buy, half a day read as made as much of an impact on my thinking as this book.
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